Meeting Again Part 2

Posted on Mon Jan 12th, 2015 @ 6:54pm by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Chaparral MD

Mission: Devotion of Time
Location: Sick Bay
Timeline: Current

Previously on Part 1“You’re right, it did tear my heart out. It hurt, I can’t deny that. I kept expecting you to come back, i tried to reach you, I sent a hundred messages to your PAaD, tried calling you and everything. Eventually, I just gave up. I blamed myself, because I know I should have trusted you. Its just when the first thing checked out, I figured there might me some truth in the rest of it too.

But you wouldn’t have run off like you did, you wouldn’t have lived the life you’ve lived, if I hadn’t pushed you. I know I hurt you too. Its just as much my fault, no its more my fault than it is yours. I already told you we both made mistakes.

I can’t know you won’t hurt me again, so maybe we start off slow.” Then he paused looking into the other man’s eyes, “But I’m willing to take a chance again, if you are.”


AND NOW THE CONTINUATION

Resting back, Dylan closed his eyes as a million confusing messages bombarded his brain. A huge part of him wanted to tell Ethan to go to hell but there was a secret, hidden part of him that he’d locked deep away inside that belonged to the man by his side and its voice was getting louder, protesting the need to be with its only love. Sighing in defeat, he said “Fine...we go on a date and see how it goes but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“A date works, but I have a confession of my own. It might make you change your mind.”

“Oh?” Dylan felt a sinking feeling deep in his stomach as he braced himself for a disappointment.

“When I was on the Forrest, the deep space station, I witnessed a murder. Not just some random mugging gone bad, but like a professional kind of thing. The victim bled out in my arms, I couldn’t do anything to save him.

Then I was approached by some man from a group called Section 31. It was one of them that had done the killing. Wanted me to work for them. I told them to go to Hell. That’s why I was sent here. And as a parting shot, just before I was to leave, I got a message on my PAaD that said you were being assigned here too. So I may have a target on my back. It might not be safe to be with me.”

“Well, considering I haven’t cared less whether I lived or died this last few years I’m thinking that wouldn’t put me off.” Dylan replied, the look on his face telling its own tale. Since losing Ethan, he’d lived fast and hard with barely any thought to his own safety. In fact, if it weren’t for the love of his job he was fairly sure he would have entered a downward spiral of drink, drugs and debauchery. “Besides, you know that I’m badass right?” he grinned at Ethan, “I’ve learned a thing or two about defence and security since I last saw you.”

Ethan relaxed a little. “Badass is good, though I’m not sure how accurate you are. I always thought you had a rather nice ass.”

“Trust me...the way I work out nowadays? It’s better.” Dylan grinned, allowing himself to flirt a little.

“Well you might just have to show me. You know just so I can compare the before and after.”

“Not so fast.” Dylan chuckled, “I don’t do that until after the first date.” he added. Of course that was a lie, he’d done that without even having a date before but hell, it was fun to flirt.

“Well that’s good to hear, I suppose,” Ethan countered,”So what would you like to do on our first date, I am free this afternoon.”

“Won’t I be recovering from surgery?” Dylan raised his bloodied hand.

“Well then I’ll sit by your bed and we can talk. How about that?”

“Yeah, and work on stopping me from discharging myself.” Dylan replied cheekily as he turned to look at Ethan properly, a soft smile playing around his lips.

“The only way you’re going to be discharged is in my custody. I do have a great bedside manner, you know.”

“I remember.” Dylan replied as his eyes locked with Ethan’s.

Ethan leaned over and kissed Dylan again, this time a little deeper and more forcefully than the first time.

“Watch it or the other doc will wonder what’s going on when he or she gets here.” Dylan murmured against the other man’s lips.

Ethan broke the kiss and said, “He and he’s pretty smart. I think if he saw us he’d figure out.”

“You have an answer for everything don’t you?” Dylan reached up with his uninjured hand and ran his fingers through Ethan’s hair.

“Not everything. I missed the way you did that.” he said referring to Dylan’s playing with his hair.

“Yeah?” Dylan smiled, “What else did you miss?”

Ethan snickered, “I bet you have some pretty good ideas. If not I am sure I could help fill you in on the details after we have dinner.”

“Now, now, who said about anything happening after dinner?” Dylan countered.

“Before works for me.”

“You’re incorrigible did you know that?” Dylan shook his head, “What happened to take it slow?”

“Well, you seemed to be flirting, so I thought I’d join in the fun. I was just joking, mostly anyway. But why don’t we take this at your speed. I’m willing to wait.”

“We both need to take it slow...neither of us can go through what happened last time again. If you didn’t get it by now it almost destroyed me.” Dylan sighed and shook his head, cringing at the memory of those dark, lonely days.

‘“I do get it. So why don’t I schedule your surgery and we’ll have breakfast together, or dinner if you’re up to it. And I promise to keep my hands to myself and avoid flirting with you.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Dylan smiled at Ethan and added “It’s good to see you looking so well Ethan.”

‘It’s just good to see you again period Dylan. And just so you know. As far as I’m concerned all those other guys you said you were with. It never happened.”

“You can’t just bury it Ethan.” Dylan sighed, “Like it or not I have a past and a reputation and I’m sure that it’ll come back to haunt me some day.”

“Then we’ll deal with it together.”

“Forever the optimist huh?” Dylan replied, “I see that never changed either.”

No, it hasn’t. Would you have it any other way?”

“If I had my way in the first place we would never have been apart.” Dylan sighed, realising that they were starting to go around in a circle.

‘You know something Dylan, sometimes you talk too much,” Ethan said, then leaned in and kissed him again.

And this time, Dylan didn’t have one thing to say back as he returned the kiss. Despite his injury, his body ignited with feelings that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Ethan found his body responding as well. Despite his promise to wait, the blood was rushing to all the right spots. “Damn that was so good,” he said, “I missed that more than you know and its all I can do now not to go further.”

“Well I don’t think it’ll do much good for your career if you gave in.” Dylan smiled, keeping hold of Ethan nevertheless.

“Yeah, they might frown on such a blatant display of affection. Holding hands is one thing, making out is something different. He couldn’t help but notice his former lover hadn’t let go of him. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, I’m going to get some rest and you’re going to go back to work.” Dylan replied, avoiding the real answer to Ethan’s question.

Ethan looked him in the eyes and decided not to pursue things. “I guess I can live with that for now.”

“Thanks for fixing me up and everything.” Dylan said softly, wondering just what was going to happen between them in the long term.

Ethan, reluctantly broke the embrace, “That’s what I’m here for.”


“Guess I’ll see you later then.” Dylan whispered, still holding on to Ethan’s hand and wishing that the intervening years had never happened.

Ethan could not help but smile as he released Dylan’s hand. “We are going to meet later and have a serious discussion.”

A joint post by

Lt. Ethan Chaparral MD
ACMO

&
Lt. Dylan Santiago
Chief of Intel